Little Agent Hope
by CountingWithStraws
Summary: Agent Lightning of the FBI hasn't seen Little Hope Estheim since she drunkenly made out with him over ten years ago the night before she left for the Academy. Now she's the best & toughest agent & he's the new recruit she's supposed to train. Problem is, Little Hope isn't so little anymore.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, I've started another new story before I've even finished anything else! ^^; I've finally gotten around to playing _Final Fantasy XIII _even though I've owned it for ages & I'm on stage 8 in Gran Pulse & I was inspired to write this as I was running about trying to level up so I could defeat Vanille's Eidolon. I haven't finished the game or played _XIII-2_, but I've seen pictures of older Hope. So please, no spoilers in the comments!

Hope is 24 & Lightning is 29, so the age gap is slightly smaller than the original.

The current rating is mostly for language, but it might possibly go up to M in the future for... other things.

Also, I don't know if this should be in _Final Fantasy XIII _or _Final Fantasy XIII-2_ because of Hope's age. It's an Alternate Universe, but still!

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

Agent Lightning looked up from a file as yet another rookie agent knocked on her door. She was tired of all these little schoolgirls disturbing her morning coffee and prep time. They all wanted to field train under her because she was the best, but she didn't have time for their tedious questions and childish mistakes when she had killers to take down. They should just go to Snow. Everyone knew she'd send the pups to him anyway. He loved training the fresh meat. There was another knock. With an irritated flick of her wrist, she closed the file.

"What the hell do you want, kid?" she snapped.

There was a moment's pause and then the door opened an inch.

"May I come in, Agent Lightning?" The male voice was soft and deep; it ghosted over Lightning's skin like warm silk and gave her gooseflesh.

"If you're here for training, go to Snow. I don't babysit."

"I don't intend to be babysat, ma'am."

The underlying steel in the boy's voice stopped Lightning from sending him away. Eventually the Captain would force her to take on an underling. Perhaps she should at least look at this guy's files or else get stuck with an absolute cockup who belonged behind a desk permanently.

"Hurry up and give me your file before I change my mind."

A thin man with pale, silvery hair and light blue-green eyes walked into the office wearing undecorated, formal military wear. Lightning sighed. He was a total pretty boy with nothing more than a sexy voice. She held out her hand for what she assumed would be a rather thin folder and was handed a two-inch binder.

"Not a problem child, are you?" She asked as she looked down at the contents of the binder. He was an early civilian graduate who went straight into the Military Academy, graduated top of his class at the age of seventeen, and then went into the field. At twenty he had entered Special Operations, where he had been for the last four years.

"No ma'am."

"Yes, I can see that now." She looked up at his unexceptional uniform. "Why don't you wear any of your decorations? You file says you've won several awards."

"If you'll pardon my rudeness, ma'am, but that's personal."

Lightning blinked and straightened her shoulders. "My answer's no."

"Because I won't tell you personal information that has nothing to do with my ability to do the job?"

"Snow can train you."

The boy's lips thinned. "I can't go to him, ma'am. You're the only one who can train me."

One of Lightning's thin eyebrows rose. "Why's that?"

"Because Agent Snow is an asshole, ma'am. If he spent less time fluffing his own ego and more time actually training his recruits there'd be more agents and fewer children running around the office."

Lightning couldn't help it she smiled. "Fine."

"You'll train me?"

"Yes, I'll train you…" She looked down at the name on the file: _Lieutenant Hope Estheim_. Her head snapped up. "Hope!?"

A slow, saucy smile spread across his face, making her insides twist. "Agent Lightning."

"Little Hope who used to live next door and follow me around, Hope Estheim?"

"Not so little anymore. I have to go tell the Captain that you've taken me on and move into my new post. Shall I report in first thing tomorrow morning?"

Lightning nodded numbly, and then he turned crisply and left. This could no way in hell be the little Hope who she hadn't seen in over ten years. The little Hope who had fallen asleep countless times in her bed after the death of his mother. The little Hope who she had drunkenly made out with the night before she left for the Military Academy.

Now he was her agent-in-training.

And she was incredibly attracted to him.

Lightning put her head in her hands and whispered, "Fuck."


	2. Chapter 2

Entering the pub, Lightning headed straight to the bar where she found a familiar brunette already halfway through a beer. She had met Fang at the Academy where they had first become rivals and then best friends. They were two of the toughest women that had gone through the system and often had to back each other up when the men grouped up against one of them. But they had survived, and even though Fang became a homicide detective and Lightning had stayed in the field for a few more years before becoming an FBI agent, they had made an effort to stay in contact.

"What, no Vanille?" Lightning asked as she sat down beside her friend.

"Nah, she has some meeting with her thesis professor. If she doesn't finish her doctorate dissertation soon I'm going to strangle her."

Lightning smiled and ordered a Disaronno straight. "Your fault for falling for a brain."

"Well, you know how I like a challenge. Tough day? You usually start with ice until after the meal"

"I'm training a new recruit."

"I'm sorry. She a real bitch?"

"He." The bartender handed Lightning her drink and she downed it like a shot, and then ordered another.

Fang's eyes widened and she rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Oh dear. He's not like Snow, is he?"

"He basically called Snow a showoff and an asshole." Lightning smiled.

"Sounds like the two of you will get along just fine. What's the hold up? Is he a pussy?"

Lightning blushed softly and took the second drink the bartender handed her.

"He's hot?"

"We have history."

"You actually have history with someone?" Fang sounded genuinely surprised. Lightning tended to single-mindedly focus on her job.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "He's the mistake I made right before the Academy."

"The guy you shagged?"

"We didn't have sex, Fang. I got drunk with a few guys in the woods, things got a little out of hand, Hope sort of saved me, and I kind of made out with him as thanks."

"So you shagged him."

Lightning glared at her. "I did not. He had just barely turned fifteen. I was eighteen and had known him since he was in dippers."

"But you had wanted to shag him."

"No." She blushed more fully.

Fang grinned. "You still want to shag him."

"No. We're both FBI agents, so it's not even a consideration. We should get a table, Serah's going to be here soon."

"You so want to shag him." Fang stood and headed over to their usual table.

Rolling her eyes, Lightning followed. With a voice like Hope's, how could she not have imagined what it would be like in bed? That was until she found out who he was. Little Hope Estheim. She imagined the little boy who used to follow her around, pouting and angrily complaining about this or that. He was harmless then, now he was Special-Ops. Lightning couldn't wrap her mind around it. Little Hope was Special-Ops?

She thought back to when he had entered her office this morning. His shoulders had been straight, his posture strong, everything about him was military tough. She paused in sipping her drink. His eyes hadn't been military tough. She hadn't noticed it then, being too wrapped up in his voice and who he was, but his eyes had held the emotional weight that came with killing. She should look more closely at his file tonight.

"Hey guys," Lightning's sister said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hey Serah."

"No Vanille?"

"Dissertation," Fang said. "Are we all having our usual? I'll go order."

The two sisters nodded and Fang made her way back to the bar to order their food.

"Snow said you took on a recruit today." Serah looked up at her sister. There was an unusual tightness about Lightning's face, something was wrong. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, and yes I took on a recruit finally, but I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh, alright."

"How things with Snow?"

Serah shrugged. "I'm still keeping my options open."

"I still don't see what's so interesting about him."

"The sex is good."

"His personality sucks."

"To each their own," Serah said with a smile. "You ever going to date?"

"Eventually. It's just hard finding guys who can handle being weaker than a girl but aren't total pussies, either."

Serah put her hand comfortingly on top of her sister's. "He's out there, Light, don't worry."

"I'm going to turn thirty next year, then I'll practically be off the market. All the good ones my age are already getting married."

"Oh my lord, girls, hottie at ten o'clock," Fang said as she set their food baskets down.

All three women looked over to a table not far from theirs where a man sat in jeans, converse, and a sleeveless shirt, bent over a book. Lightning's body tightened, she knew that silver hair anywhere.

"Hope," she said softly.

He looked up, frowning, and then looked around the pub. When his eyes connected with Lightning's he smiled.

"I think a man just made me wet," Fang said.

Serah laughed and then turned to her sister. "He's checking you out. You should go say hi."

Lightning turned so her back was to him, but even then she could still feel his gaze on her. It warmed her like a gentle caress. "That's Hope Estheim, my new recruit."

Serah's jaw dropped. "Little Hope, Hope Estheim? As in the little boy from next door who used to follow you around?"

"Yeah." Lightning down the rest of her drink.

"Not so little anymore, is he?" Fang licked her lips. "If I wasn't already taken I'd consider going straight for a guy like that."

"Good thing you're taken then." With a wink, Serah left their table and went over to Hope's.

"I thought she was with Snow?"

"She's keeping her options open." Lightning stood, her food untouched.

Fang frowned. "You leaving already, hun?"

"I'm not really hungry. It's been a long day and I've still a lot to do tonight."

Nodding, Fang decided not to voice the real reason her friend was leaving. They both knew what Serah was planning, which under usual circumstances wouldn't be problematic. But Serah didn't know about her sister's history with Hope Estheim or how it had affected Lightning months after it had happened. "I'll drive you, you've had quite a bit to drink. Just let me get a box for this."

"Fine, I'll wait outside."


	3. Chapter 3

_It's okay. You don't always have to be strong. You can lean on me. I'll protect you._

Lightning awoke with tears in her eyes and a horrible headache. She should not have had that entire bottle of wine with Fang when they got back to her apartment. Groaning, she sat up and wiped the ridiculous tears from her eyes. It was all in the past. That horrible nightmare was all in the past. Focusing strictly on the present and what she needed to do, Lightning got up and got ready for another day at work—another day of catching the bad guy.

As she went to grab her car keys, she spotted Hope's file. She had looked it over last night before Fang brought out the wine. As soon as he got into Special-Ops nearly everything was blacked out. The only thing she had really learned was that his code name was Arctic Fox and that he had to have been excellent for so much of it to be classified. The secrecy of it all brought to question why he had left. Most of the ex-Special-Ops agents Lightning knew had either been in until they were too old or had an injury that made them a liability. Nothing in Hope's files mentioned any injuries besides the inevitable miner combat scratches. Little Hope was turning out to be quite the mystery.

Picking up her cell phone, Lightning headed out to her car and checked her messages. There was one from Serah: _Wow. Just wow. Hope is amazing! Call me on your break! _Lightning jammed her phone into her pocket. So Little Hope was an easy lay, was he? Good! All the more reason to be disinterested in him and his pretty boy face, sad eyes, and bedroom voice. Lightning got on her _Ducati_ motorcycle and revved the engine to life. It was time to put her new little recruit through training, and with her current mood it was going to be hell. She couldn't wait.

* * *

As Lightning walked into the FBI's training centre she expected it to be nearly empty with the exception of a few workaholics like herself. It was only five thirty in the morning after all. She did not, however, expect to find Hope Estheim kickboxing a body bag wearing only black sweat pants and a thin layer of sweat.

Straightening her shoulders and tying her hair back, Lightning headed over to him. "I see last night didn't tire you out too much."

She saw him smile, but he never looked her way. "No."

"No what?" Lightning put her hand on her hip.

"No, ma'am, much to my regret." Hope kicked the body bag and turned towards her.

Lightning had to fight to remain natural and act as if the sight of Hope's tone muscles and six-pack abs had no effect on her. "Good, because you're going to need all your energy to survive today."

"Oh?"

She stepped onto the mat. "I'm going to work you so hard you'll be begging the Captain to let you go by noon."

"Good."

"You want me to make you want to quit?"

Hope took a step closer to her so they were only a few inches apart. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

"You don't have me."

Hope merely smiled.

* * *

Lightning sat down on the mat and watched Hope pace several feet away. It had been six hours and instead of wearing down and getting sloppy, Hope seemed to be predicting her moves more accurately to the point where he had completely stopped her last several attacks. No man had ever done that, not even Snow who she had been sparring with for years.

"Not tiring out on me, are you?" Hope walked over with a saucy smile.

Lightning straightened her aching shoulders, her body felt like lead. "Hell no."

"Good." He offered his hand.

Lightning took it and he pulled her up. For a moment their bodies pressed into one another as she stumbled into him, caught off-guard by the sheer strength he still possessed after so many hours of sparring. His arm wrapped around her, steadying her. Physically too aware of him, Lightning pulled from Hope and took several steps backward.

"How can you predict my attacks so easily?" Lightning said, trying to focus on something other than how content she had felt in his arms. She never felt content in a man's arms.

Hope slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants. "You don't move much differently than you did when we were kids."

"You were watching me when we were kids?" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Sounds kind of creepy stalkerish."

"Not my fault you're hard to ignore."

Lightning blushed and glared at him. "Except for when my sister's around. Let's get back to training."

Hope nodded and they returned to their positions on the mat. At first neither one of them moved, then Lightning struck. Hope dodged left. She struck again. He dodged right. Strike, dodge, strike, dodge. The two repeated the same movements over and over again. Lightning could feel her blood heating. Why was she missing? Why wasn't he attacking? She was tired, her body ached, but she realized it was all from missing or being blocked. Hope had never attacked her. She clenched her jaw. Why? Did he think it improper to hit a woman? That she was beneath his masculine power? She'd show him! With all her might, Lightning swung her fist.

Hope didn't block.

He flew backwards and fell hard onto the mat. For a moment Lightning simply stood there, waiting, but then she realized that he wasn't moving.

"Hope?" When he didn't answer she flew to his side. His eyes were closed and there was a cut to his temple that was covering the side of his face in blood. "Hope!?"

He groaned and opened his eyes. Unfocused, his eyes searched until they found her. "Hmm?"

"How come you didn't block you idiot!?" Lightning screamed as she ripped off her t-shirt and pressed it to the side of his head.

"You…" Hope spat out some of the blood that had gotten into his mouth. "Wanted to hit me." His eyes started to close.

"Don't you dare close your eyes on me, Hope!" Lightning slapped his cheek lightly. "Wake up damn it!"

Hope opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I didn't sleep with Serah," he murmured and then passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

Lightning closed the file in front of her on her makeshift desk. It was nearly sixteen hundred and Little Hope had been out for about three hours. After the doctor at the FBI Headquarters had bandaged his head, he had been transferred to the hospital a few blocks away. Lightning had showered and changed, expecting him to be awake by the time she got there. Instead she had found Hope still unconscious in a hospital bed and a female nurse carefully washing his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Startled, the nurse squeaked and spun around. "Oh! I'm sorry. I was washing the blood off him when I noticed the cover up on his shoulder. The doctor told me to wash it off."

Lightning walked over to the small woman and snatched the wet cloth and makeup remover from her hands. "I'll do it. Go away."

The nurse scattered from the room.

Sitting down, Lightning resumed gently washing the cover up from Little Hope's arm. Slowly a beautiful tattoo came into view. It was an arctic fox with silky hair and sad eyes that reminded her of Hope. Centred on the bridge of the fox's nose was a lightning bolt shaped scar. She smiled sadly and ran her fingertips across the tattoo. He must have been keeping tabs on her to know her codename. She made a note to ask him when it got it.

If he woke up, that was.

Lightning sighed and pulled Little Hope's unused tray table over to her. She might as well study up on the new information gathered about the Cie'th Mafia whilst she waited for her partner to awaken.

* * *

_The Arctic Fox crawled on his stomach through the muddy, swamp terrain, the rain beating against his body, and over to Wolfhound. The older officer was covered in dirt and natural foliage, hiding his broad shoulders and long body. Next to him was a Barret M82 sniper rifle. Arctic Fox positioned himself and checked the scope. He could see the terrace nearly fifteen hundred yards away perfectly. _

"_How long?" he asked. _

_Wolfhound wiped the mud from his watch. "Ten minutes, then we get this done and I get home in time for the birth of my daughter." _

_Arctic Fox smiled. "How many will this make?" _

"_Eight." _

"_Do you two do anything else besides fuck?" _

"_Hey, she's just happy to see me alive." _

_Arctic Fox shook his head and sighed. "Ever think of doing something else?" _

"_The wife wants me to take up the FBI's numerous offers." _

"_FBI, huh?" _

"_Yeah, comfy desk jockey job." Wolfhound rolled his eyes. _

"_Hey, I got a girl in the FBI and she's not a desk jockey by any means." _

_Wolfhound looked at him. "Got a picture?" _

"_Time?"_

"_Two minutes." _

"_After." _

_The two men went silent as the Arctic Fox looked through the scope again. He steadied his breathing, his hands still, his emotions locked away. A man came into view, blonde hair, expensive suit, and sapphire ring. A perfect match. He pulled the trigger. _

_Blood splattered across the side of the Arctic Fox's face. He grabbed the rifle and rolled away, sliding into a small dugout covered in foliage where they had been camping for the past two nights. Within a few short moments he had the rifle put away. He listened to the splatter of gunshots; they fell like the rain upon the foliage. _

_There was a pause. _

_The Arctic Fox shot out of the dugout, hauled Wolfhound's corpse over his shoulders, and ran further into the jungle. The meeting point wasn't far. The gunshots returned. He slid into a patch of thick foliage and tossed the body to the side. Wolfhound was three hundred pounds of dead weight. He wouldn't make it trying to carry him back that far, not with the amount of ammunition these guys were tossing out. _

_But his wife deserved a body. _

_He sighed. "Fuck."_

* * *

Lightning awoke to the sight of the full moon shinning into the room. She was warm and completely content. As she started to drift back to sleep she snuggled further into the warmth and realized it was coming from a hard body behind her. She stilled and her eyes shot wide open. Where was she? Last thing she remembered was reading in Little Hope's hospital room.

Quickly, she took in her surroundings. She was in someone's apartment on a mattress on the floor in the corner of a room. Straight in front of her was a small kitchen, the counters empty except for an open box of cereal. Left of the kitchen was a door with a peephole and several locks—the way out. Further left, southwest of the mattress, was another door, this one open and beyond she could make out a toilet and sink, the bathroom. She looked around for some sign of personalization that could tell her whose apartment this was, but the only belongings she could see was the cereal box and a duffle bag on the floor.

Giving up on her surroundings telling her anything, Lightning decided to focus on the individual in bed with her. She reached down and felt the arm that was wrapped possessively around her waist. It was strong and lightly haired, probably male. She grabbed hold of the person's wrist and tried to pull the arm from her. A deep groan sounded behind her and the warm body pressed into hers. Lightning blushed as something large and hard pressed into her backside—definitely male.

Lightning yanked the arm from her, jammed her heel backwards and up, and then scampered to her feet.

"FUCKING SHIT BUCKETS, CLAIRE! WAIT!" the man shouted, his voice deep and husky.

She didn't stop. Lightning bolted to the door, threw off the locks, and ran out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Warning, foul-mouthery.

* * *

"Claire, you fucking impulsive woman, get back here!"

Lightning couldn't hear the man chasing after her, only his voice as it got closer. He was fast. She passed the elevator, waiting for it would only get her caught, and headed for the stairwell. She grabbed for the door. Her fingers touched the cold steal of the handle and then she was yanked backwards. Spinning, she went to punch her attacker, but he caught her wrist and pinned her hard against the stairwell door. She struggled, attempting to knee him in the groin, but he pressed his body into hers, stopping all movement.

"Let go of me or I'll scream, you fucking asshole!" Lightning screeched and then bit down on the man's bare shoulder.

The man growled and jammed his body into hers, knocking the wind out of her so that she let go of his shoulder. "For fuck sakes, Claire! It's me, Hope. Now calm the fuck down."

Lightning stilled. "Hope?"

"Yeah." He let go of her wrists and went limp against her. "You're a really crazy bitch, you know that?"

"I'm sorry." Lightning smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel how heavily he was breathing. Perhaps she should take it easier on him tomorrow.

"Don't be," he whispered. "If you hadn't of just jammed my nuts into my stomach, I'd be a turn on."

"You like abusive women?"

"I like a woman who can kick my ass." Hope pulled from her, his lips ghosting along her jawline, until he was eye to eye with her. "That doesn't mean I like getting my ass kicked."

Lightning blushed and looked away. "I should get going."

"Might want to put some clothes on first."

Hope smiled as she pushed him away and looked down at herself. She hadn't noticed her severe lack of clothing. All she had on was her black bra and panty set and a large blue shirt that didn't belong to her with half of its buttons undone, probably from the struggle. Lightning then looked at Hope who was only in a pair of gray sweat pants, which hung low on his hips.

"Hey, don't glare at me, I usually sleep naked. I just figured you'd be more comfortable in what you usually wore."

She began re-buttoning the shirt. "I don't."

"You don't, what?"

"Wear this."

Hope frowned. "You used to. Is it because of what happened?"

"No." Lightning looked down. "I mean… it doesn't bother me anymore. I don't wear anything to bed either."

"Well, by all means." His voice was softer, huskier and his eyes warmed, a seductive smile appearing on his face.

"I'm not sleeping naked with you."

"We don't have to sleep."

Lightning swung at Hope, but he blocked and pinned her to the wall. Her hands were held above her head and her breasts pressed against his hard chest as he pinned her body with his own so she couldn't try to kick him. If this had been any other man, Lightning would have been frightened, but somehow she knew that, even after so many years apart, Hope would never hurt her. He would never force her. It was the knowledge in safety that allowed her to revel in just how strong he was, strength he now used not to hurt her, for even his grip on her wrists was gentle, but instead to merely keep her from hurting him. For the first time in Lightning's life, she was turned on by a man's strength.

"Sorry," Hope whispered, his breath brushing against the crook of her neck. "But you've already knocked me out once today."

Lightning resisted the urge to turn her head and kiss him. "Hope, you're my understudy, my partner."

"I know."

"We can't."

He brushed his lips against the sensitive skin along her jaw, sending pleasant shivers throughout her body. "I know."

"Hope…" Her voice was pleading, but for what she was uncertain. Did she want him to kiss her? To let her go? To take control? No. She would never let a man control her. "Hope, let go. I'm going home."

He leaned back slightly and looked her in the eyes. Lightning felt herself blush but schooled her face into a scowl. Hope smiled at her and rested his forehead against hers. "No."

"Yes."

He laughed. "Don't tempt me, woman."

"What?"

"You're still as clueless as ever, Claire," Hope said as he let go of her wrists and swept his arm under her knees, effortlessly picking her up.

Lightning wrapped her arms around his neck and he started carrying her back to his apartment. "What're you doing?! I'm going home."

"You've bruised every part of my body. I'm tired. You're tired. We're going to bed."

"I'm going home."

"You've yet to say you actually want to go home."

Lightning frowned. They entered the apartment and Hope kicked the door shut, then turned and she replaced the locks. He then carried her over to the mattress and laid her down gently before collapsing beside her. She rolled onto her side and looked at Hope. So much of how he looked was the same as before: the way his hair fell lazily in his face, the subtle pout of his full lips, the straight line of his nose, and the way he could somehow read her better than anyone else. She took a deep, steadying breath. He even smelled the same.

Before she had left for the Academy, they used to sleep in the same bed nearly every night. It had started the night after his mother had died when he was ten. Lightning had been in her bed, drawing by candlelight when she heard her mother open the front door.

"_Little Hope, what happened? Where's your father?" Mrs. Farron asked. Hearing Hope's name, Lightning snuck out of her room and over to the staircase where she could see Hope standing in the doorway, looking much like a puppy who had been scolded and then left in the pouring rain. His lip was cut and the skin under his eye was bruising. _

"_Could I please sleep here tonight, ma'am?" Hope asked, keeping his eyes on the floor. _

"_Come in out of the rain, dear, and I'll call your father." _

_Hope's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Oh, no! Please don't. Just let me sleep here tonight. Please?" _

"_Hope-" Mrs. Farron started, but then stopped when she heard Lightning rushing down the stairs. _

_She didn't know why she did it; her feet had started moving without her conscious thought. In an instant, Lightning was downstairs and pulling Hope into her arms. She could feel him shaking and didn't think it was from the cold rain. "Of course you can sleep here, Hope." _

_Before her mother could say another word, Lightning was ushering Hope up to her bedroom. Wordlessly, she gave him some of her boy's clothing, which she often used for soccer practice, to change into and they both crawled into bed. They both laid with their backs to each other, not touching. It felt strange to have a boy in her bed, even if he was so much younger than she was. _

_Nearly an hour had passed in silent wakefulness when Lightning heard the first shuttering breath, followed by a quiet sniffle. She frowned and bit her bottom lip before turning around and pulled Hope into her arms._

"_It's okay," she whispered. "I'll protect you."_

Lightning felt Hope's warm hand cup her cheek as his thumb gently brushed the skin under her eye. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find them blurred by tears. She blinked to clear them. Hope was looking at her tenderly; his gentle blue-green eyes steady on her.

"I was remembering the first time we slept in the same bed, after your father had beaten you because of your mother's death."

Hope smiled sadly and pulled her into his arms. He said nothing, just held her. He was so big now. Before he was so small that he fit inside her arms, now he surrounded her. He was a lean man, but still Lightning felt small in his arms, small but incredibly safe and content. Lightly, Lightning kisses his collarbone and snuggled into his chest. Tomorrow she would put up boundaries, but for now she'd allow herself to sleep in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hey guys! I originally wasn't going to post today because I had to get up at 4:30 AM for a potential job meeting. But after two Monsters, some Mtn. Dew, & the inspirational music of John Dreamer (he's on YouTube), I have finished chapter six!

However, before I leave you guys to that, a bit of information about my **posting schedule**. This past week has been amazing with the amount of writing I've been able to get done. Sadly, that is not the norm for me & I have other things that must get done. So, unless I just can't help myself again, I'm going to be posting less. Probably one to three chapters a week, but not necessarily from the same story (I'm currently working on several projects). Another reason for posting less is because from now on I'm going to have to think more carefully about each chapter to make sure all the pieces fit together and nothing's left out. Remember, more thinking on my part equals a better story for you!

I will usually be planning my schedule on the weekends, so by sometime on **Mondays** my posting schedule should be on my **Profile**. If something comes up & I won't be able to post on time, I'll say it on my profile with a new posting date.

So, without anymore delay,

Enjoy & DFTBA!

* * *

_Get up! Get up, damn it! You're going to die if you don't get up. Get the fuck up. NOW! Hope opened his eyes and pushed off of the muddy grassland beneath him. He ran. Bullets flew passed him in chaotic disarray. No one aimed. They just shot and hoped to God it hit someone. He only had a knife, his gun having malfunctioned. _

_Weaving between his frontline comrades, Hope searched for the Target. His first Target and it had to be in the middle of a goddamn, fucking warzone. An enemy came seemingly out of nowhere and swung at him. Hope dodged. Instinct took control. He grabbed the enemy's head, yanked it to the side, and ran his blade across the external carotid artery. Dropping the corpse, he grabbed the next enemy and used it as a shield against the oncoming array of bullets, then grabbed the corpse's gun and threw the body into another enemy. Hope continued toward the Target, killing anything that got in his way._

* * *

Lightning awoke to the soft sound of rain and a heartbeat. It was so peaceful. She didn't want to open her eyes. Could every morning be like this? Lightning couldn't remember the last time she didn't want to get out of bed, that what was already in her arms felt better than catching the bad guy. She could smell the misty, fresh rain and Hope's clean soap. When she was younger she had taken his presence for granted. He had always been there, then she had run away and the regret had eaten her away until the only thing left was work. Now he was here and she couldn't have him.

Frowning, she pulled from his arms and sat up. The dim morning light caressed the empty apartment, leaving it hollow and desolate. Where were all his belongings? Surely he had more than a duffle bag and a box of cereal. Or had he given up on human comforts, like so many who had seen death?

She had been to the Veteran's Centre and seen its inhabitance. Yes, there were well-adjusted military veterans who went on to live long, happy lives. The psychologists there said that she was likely to be one of them. However, there were those who were broken by the military, by the act of killing another human being, and went on to simply exist, ghosts of who they once were, never truly living. Was Hope bound to be one of them?

Turning, Lightning looked down at Hope. In the dull, morning light she could see bruising along the side of his face, the area around his temple and eye was the darkest. Vivid, dark bruises from blocking her unrelenting attacks when they spared marred his arms as well. He had been on the defensive the entire time. Lightning sighed. Hope was always a gentle soul. He had spent years being beaten by his father and keeping her from going after his drunken parent. Not once did he fight back. How had he survived the military? Why had he joined Special-Ops? How could her gentle Little Hope have killed another human?

"I bet I look even better when you're straddling me," Hope murmured, startling Lightning from her thoughts.

Lightning playfully smacked Hope's toned abs. "When did you become such a pervert?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, smiling. "Remember that summer it was so hot that we slept without any covers and about a dozen fans blowing on us?"

"It was three fans, but yeah, I remember."

"The first night you slept in a sports bra and underwear."

"Huh?"

"That's when I became a, as you call it, pervert."

Lightning frowned. "Hope…"

"I know." He sat up and cupped her cheek. "I know."

"If you know then why are you here? Why join the military and then come here?"

"It was the only way I could fulfill my promise to you."

Lightning's brows furrowed. "What promise?"

"How much of the night before you left do you remember?"

"All of it."

Hope frowned and his eyes lowered in sadness. "Apparently not."

"I… I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He pulled her forward and softly pressed his lips to her forehead before getting out of bed. "I'm going for a run. Your clothes are in the bathroom. I'll see you at work."

"Hope, wait!" she said, grabbing for his hand. His fingers slipped from her grasp, but he stopped anyway. "Can I join you?"

He smiled softly and nodded.

* * *

"So," Lightning panted as she flopped down into the grass. "You ever going to tell me why I woke up in your apartment?"

They had been running for two hours, sometimes racing, other times jogging to cool off a little. Lightning had always been a runner, even when they were younger, but the few times Hope had tried to join her he couldn't keep up. Now he was at her level and even challenged her a little. It was nice.

"I only had a slight concussion," Hope said as he sat down next to her. "It only lasted a few hours and was gone by the time I awoke. The doctor thought my long sleep was probably due more to over exerting myself physically than from the head injury, so she let me go home. I didn't want to leave you there, so I brought you home with me."

"You could have woken me."

He smiled. "I tried. You were out like a light."

She rolled her eyes.

"I hope you don't mind, but I also read the files you had with you. What's this about the Cie'th Mafia?"

"Besides our regular cases, the entire FBI is keeping an eye out for any intelligence on the Cie'th Mafia. I was just catching up on what we know."

"I think about every part of the government is keeping an eye on them."

The steel edge in Hope's voice caused Lightning to look at him. He was looking out at the playground about fifty yards away. Children were giggling and playing freely as they waited for the morning school bus. But Hope wasn't seeing them. His gaze was far away, somewhere that she couldn't follow.

"You've dealt with them before?"

"Yeah." He stood. "Let's head back, we have to get to work soon."

"Okay."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. It's been a busy week, but you get an extra long chapter for your wait!

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

The sharp sound of bullets firing echoed through the FBI's private gun range. Lightning held her breath, her heart aching as she watched Hope lower his gun. She knew without a doubt now what the Arctic Fox had been in Special-Ops. As soon as he had picked up the gun all emotion had left his face, his eyes going blank, cold. With a mere second's look at the target, he had taken his shot. Every single one was a perfect headshot.

Hope set his gun down. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" Lightning blinked and then school her features into a blank expression. "Nothing."

"So when are we actually going to investigate something?"

Lightning raised her own gun and aimed for the target's chest. "Next week. The Captain gave me the week to get to know your abilities."

"Then we should definitely hit the bedroom next."

Lightning's shot went wide.

Emotion flooded back into Hopes eyes and face as he laughed.

"Hope!" She glared at him.

"I know, I know! It was just a joke."

"If you weren't already bruised from head to toe I'd hit you."

"Temper, temper." Hope smiled.

"Hope, be serious. We might have been friends once, but not anymore. We're going to be partners, and if you want it to remain that way then no more jokes, no more of last night. This is strictly business. I can't trust you if it's not."

His smile lessened but remained in place. "As you wish, ma'am."

Lightning stopped herself from frowning, but she could not stop her heart from aching as she watched the light go from his eyes. He turned from her and continued practicing with the targets. This was for the best. She couldn't worry about some lovesick puppy following her around when there were bad guys to catch. The Cie'th Mafia would find out and use that against him, against her. This had to remain professional.

* * *

Lightning opened her apartment door open with her shoulder, juggling her grocery bags as her two fluffy kittens, Jack O'Neil and Sam Carter, came to greet her. She said hello to them and kicked the door shut before Jack could escape. He mewed at her in annoyance and then followed her and Sam into the kitchen to await dinner.

After putting the groceries away and feeding the kittens, Lightning checked her home phone for messages. There were three, two from Serah and one from Fang. In response to Fang's, she merely sent her a text: _Breakfast tomorrow?_ It didn't take Fang long to respond positively. As for her sister, Lightning decided to pop her freezer dinner into the microwave and pour herself a glass of wine first.

Wine and dinner in hand, Lightning sat on her couch, since she didn't own a table, and called her sister, putting her on speakerphone so she could eat. It took several rings before Serah answered.

"Took you long enough to call back, sis!"

Lightning swallowed her food. "I was busy."

"Like always."

"Yeah, like always. So you had something big to tell me?"

"Oh yeah! Oh my lord, Hope Estheim is the sexiest man alive."

Lightning rolled her eyes and took a gulp of wine.

"And he turned me down!"

"I know."

Serah paused. "You know?"

"Yeah, he's my new partner, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Lucky."

"Serah, is this call merely to talk about Estheim?" Since the shooting rang earlier that day Lightning had taken the habit of calling Hope by his last name. It was more professional that way.

"Well, duh. I spent two hours flirting with the guy and somehow the conversation kept turning to you."

Lightning's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. "Weird."

"Yeah, really weird. I was kind of shocked to find out he transferred here just to be your partner. I mean, I thought he'd want nothing to do with you after you left for the Academy."

"What d'you mean?"

"Besides the fact that you had sex with the guy and then disappeared the next day?"

"We didn't have sex, Serah." Lightning snapped. "Estheim and I used to always sleep in the same bed. Nothing ever happened."

"Light, I walked into your room that morning to wake you guys for breakfast to find him sleeping naked in your bed and you gone. Don't tell me you two didn't pop each other's cherries."

Lightning set her dinner down half finished. "We didn't. You said besides, is there more?"

"Uh, yeah." Serah's tone had become more somber. "Before we got your call, Hope searched everywhere for you. I don't think he slept or ate for those whole three days. Afterwards he stopped coming over, stopped socializing with anyone. He always had bruises and cuts. I think he got into some bad shit, Light, because he was never home enough for it to be his father's work. Then he suddenly graduates early and disappears. His dad said the only thing he took was some clothes and his violin."

"And you didn't hear of him again until a few days ago?"

"No. He was so brilliant that we all thought we'd hear about him doing something amazing in the news. I never thought he'd join the military."

"Me either. He never seemed the type."

"Too soft."

"Yeah," Lightning sighed. "Look, Serah, I've had a tough day, so I'm going to go."

"Okay. Take care and see you for dinner this weekend?"

"Yeah. Bye."

Lightning hung up and tossed the phone onto the coffee table. She remembered that night perfectly, despite being drunk, didn't she? She had to. The nightmares had tormented her often enough afterwards. There was no way she could have forgotten a single detail.

_It's okay. You don't always have to be strong. You can lean on me. I'll protect you._

Tears welled up as the memory of those soft words came to focus and she hastily wiped them away and downed the rest of her wine. It was time for a shower and bed. Quickly, Lightning took her dishes into the kitchen, the kittens following her every step. She rinsed her wine glass and placed it in the dishwasher, and then tossed her microwave dinner in the garbage.

After giving the kittens a little cream, she went into the bathroom and turned on the small stereo in the towel closet by the door. Needing to relax after the conversation she had with Serah and an entire day with Hope, she pressed six for the preset classical radio station. Stepping into the shower, Lightning let the warm water sooth her body and the soft music calm her mind. This was exactly what she needed. At least it was until David Garrett's rendition of her favourite Queen song came on. Then her mind wandered back to the last time she had heard those violin cords, back to the summer before she had run away and joined the military.

_Slowly the lines began to create form as Claire lay on her stomach, drawing. Hope sat on the floor in only a pair of swim shorts, lightly picking at the strings of his violin. It was so hot out that neither one of them felt like moving much. _

"_Are you ever going to actually practice?" Claire asked, setting down her pencil. _

"_Too hot," Hope replied. _

"_Mrs. Ives will know you didn't practice." _

_Hope grumbled. _

"_What was that?"_

"_Too hot."_

_Claire grinned. "I'll get you a cold rag if you play me a song." _

"_How about a cold shower instead?" Hope perked up._

"_You have a shower at home."_

"_Dad's home with his latest girlfriend."_

"_Fine. Just play me a damn song already." _

"_What d'you want me to play?" _

"_What d'you think I want you to play?" _

_Hope rolled his eyes and began to play the soft, desperate notes of _Who Wants to Live Forever._ Claire moved to sit next to Hope, closing her eyes and listening as the music went from sad to hopeful, but always there was an intensity behind them, a desperation that she only felt in her heart when Hope played it. _

_When he had finished, Claire grabbed his hand and stood, pulling him with her. She then led him into the bathroom. _

"_What're you doing, Claire?" Hope asked, his cheeks turning a bright red that had nothing to do with the heat._

"_You don't think I'm going to suffer while you take a cold shower, do you?" With a flick of her wrist she undid the strings of her shorts and let them fall to the floor, leaving her only in her sporty bikini that she was still wearing from playing beach volleyball that morning. _

"_Now I really need a cold shower," Hope mumbled and got into the stall as he avoided looking at Claire. _

"_What was that?"_

"_Too hot." _

_Claire rolled her eyes and stepped into the stall. After securing the iced glass door, she turned on the cold water. They both twitched at the physical shock of the cold and then sighed in relief. _

"_Fuck this is good," Claire moaned happily as her body cooled off. _

_Hope groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. _

"_You okay?" she asked, turning to her little friend. _

"_I'm fine." He opened his eyes but kept them directed at the tile floor. _

_Claire frowned and wrapped her arms around him. "Hope? Did your father do something? Are you hurt somewhere?" _

"_No! I'm fine." He pushed from her and unlocked the shower stall door. "I gotta go." _

"_What? Wait, Hope!" She tried to grab him, but Hope fled from the shower and was out of the bathroom before she could say another word._

Lightning frowned and shut off the shower. Back then Hope's reaction had merely confused her. He had been the only boy she was close to so she didn't have any real experience with them. Now, at the age of twenty-nine, she realized what had happened that day. How long had he been physically attracted to her? Was it true what he said earlier? Had his feelings for her changed that summer and she simply never noticed that he was no longer Little Hope? Even after that horrible night that had ended up in her drunkenly kissing him she had always thought of him as Little Hope. Now he was back and every part of her was aware of him being a man, a powerful one at that. Lightning bit her lip and stepped out of the shower. Perhaps she should talk to the Captain tomorrow and have Hope reassigned to someone else.

* * *

AN: In case it wasn't obvious, "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by Queen, the violin version Hope plays is similar to the version by David Garrett. Therefore, I own nothing. Also, the names of the two cats are from _Stargate SG-1_ **(Disclaimer)**


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I've been getting several complaints about the shortness of my chapters & I'm politely asking for your reviews/comments not to tell me my chapters are too short. As a reader I understand preferring long chapters. However, if you want at least a chapter a week, they're going to roughly be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. It's just how my brain works with planning things out. And concerning this particular story, planning is particularly hard. I might watch a lot of _Law & Order_ and _Bones _and shows like those ones, but I've never written murder mystery before. I want to make sure I'm getting my clues & facts right so the cases aren't full of holes.

Otherwise, I love reading all of your guys reviews/comments. Many of them make me want to write more often than what I'm currently able.

DFTBA & Enjoy

* * *

_She fell into the soft grass and could smell the wet earth below, rich and full of life. Above the moon was full, hanging in a cloudless sky. The vast array of stars were dimmed by the moon's brightness in the open haven that she laid in, surrounded by the dark chaos of the endlessly unsleeping metropolis. _

_Lightning rolled onto her back and looked up at the moon as it turned pale blue-green and morphed like a life-giving cell into two. Their light was so bright that they lightened the skies to pale cream awash with silvery clouds. She smiled and reached her mud-covered hands upwards, wanting to wrap her arms around those two glorious moons. _

_But the mud on her arms hardened and weighed her down. She struggled, but she wasn't strong enough. Her leaden arms fell above her head and were engulfed by the ground. Her legs too sunk into the cold, uncaring mud. _

_A harsh laugh whispered in her ears, and Lightning screamed as she struggled towards the sky. _

Lightning awoke to the sound of her cell phone singing obnoxiously on the bedside table. It was her work's ringer. Sighing, she rolled over and grabbed the phone.

"Yeah?" she answered as she looked at the time. It was 3:27 A.M.

"Agent Lightning, a body was found down in the South District. Homicide thinks it's Cie'th work. We're texting you the location now."

"Right, I'm on my way."

Lightning hung up and jumped out of bed. Quickly she dressed in her black dress pants, white blouse, and black tie. She then armed herself with her Glock service pistol, pocketed her badge and phone, and headed out, grabbing her coat along the way.

It took her approximately thirty minutes to drive to the location in the light, morning traffic. She parked next to a navy coloured SUV with a tiger print blanket draped across the back seat—Fang's vehicle. That would explain why Homicide was turning this over to the FBI so quickly, Fang was one of the few who were not particularly keen on investigating Cie'th and taking the glory of jailing one of its members. Arresting Cie'th often had negative repercussions, unless it was a bottom-feeding Ghoul, and Ghouls usually weren't tied to dead bodies.

Lightning sighed and headed into the apartment complex. It was a nice enough building, considering it was just outside of a shadier section of the city, and Lightning was pleased to see that the stairwell and corridors were clean of any insect or rodent infestation. However, she did notice that there were numerous water stains on the ceilings—at least she hoped they were from water.

She flashed her badge to an officer when she made it to the correct floor and entered the apartment. It was a standard set up, not much different than her own apartment, but vastly more colourful. It looked like an interior decorating project gone wrong. The walls and accessories were an array of bright colours that juxtaposed with dark furniture, and nearly everywhere there was a vase of flowers. The floral scent was nearly overwhelming.

Lightning made her way over to Fang, who appeared to be wearing plaid pajama pants and one of Vanille's university sweaters. She was standing next to the body: a voluptuous, blonde woman laying naked on the kitchen table in a bed of white flowers with a crimson strip down the centre of each petal.

"This looks like Special Victims. What makes you think Cie'th?" Lightning asked as she stopped next to her friend.

"Your partner," Fang replied.

Lightning raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Estheim? What's he doing here?"

"Apparently someone tipped him off about the flowers. Showed up twenty minutes after me."

"The flowers? But none of the Cie'th reports mentioned anything about flowers."

"They wouldn't."

Lightning turned at the sound of Hope's deep, husky voice, a shiver of awareness running down her spine. Hope was dressed immaculately in FBI uniform. "Why not?"

"Walk with me?"

Instantly Lightning understood. The flowers weren't in the files because for some reason they were highly classified, outranking general FBI clearance. The only way Hope could know was either with higher security clearance than a normal agent, or through direct contact with the subject being concealed, or both. Though, probably the latter since he was tipped off about the flowers.

Lightning nodded and followed Hope outside of the apartment and down to the back alley. He did a visual sweep of the area, making sure no one was among the dumpsters or piles of overflowing trash, and then, to Lightning's amazement, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

She frowned. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Only after seeing dead bodies. Blame the military." He pulled out a thin, rolled up piece of paper that looked closer to a doobie than a cigarette out of the pack.

"That doesn't look like a cigarette, Estheim."

"I roll my own." He lit the cigarette and took a drag. "It's cheaper and there are less chemicals."

"Oh." She wouldn't say she was pleased about his smoking, especially on the job, but she understood the addiction. It starts with the first dead body, calms the person down, but keeps them vigilant. Hope probably didn't need to smoke anymore, but it was wired into him now. Seeing a dead body triggered the need for a cigarette.

"So, the flowers?" she asked.

"Asphodels. Those ones are the key. I've already told forensics that we'll need to know every other type of flower in there. I doubt he left any prints, but he sure as hell brought them in there."

"He?"

"Classified, and you know what that means."

Lightning frowned. "A traitor. Can you at least tell me his Cie'th rank?"

"Last I knew l'Cie, but he was moving up. If he's not fal'Cie yet, he's close."

Lightning ran her hand through her hair. The l'Cie were bad enough, but the fal'Cie were like mini Sanctum bosses. Though, it could be worse, he could be Sanctum. The Sanctum was the top of the Cie'th Mafia, they were the biggest and cruelest, with a handful of fal'Cie serving each of them specifically, hundreds of l'Cie serving the fal'Cie, and countless Ghouls serving the l'Cie.

"Can you tell me his name?"

Hope shook his head and took another pull off his cigarette. "I was calling to get his file pulled when you got here."

She nodded. "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

Lightning looked him straight in the eyes, taking note of every subtle movement, any hint of an emotional connection to the case. He didn't waver. "When I get that file in my hands, am I going to have to pull you off of the case?"

Hope took a deep drag and blew the smoke away from her in a long, thin stream, but never did he lose eye contact. "No, ma'am."

"Good." She sighed, relieved. "Then finish your cigarette and go home. Get some sleep. You're starting to get bags under your eyes. We'll meet up at the office at ten."

Without even waiting for a response, Lightning turned and headed back up to the crime scene.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I'm struggling a little with plot so this weekend I'm going to sort it all out. If all goes well there will be a double upload next week! So, wish me luck!

DFTBA & Enjoy!

* * *

"_Why is it always carnations? And yellow ones at that!" the Dream Reaper complained as he plucked one of the blooms from the bouquet and crushed it in his hand. "Have they no sense?" _

_The Arctic Fox tossed his duffle bag on the expensive hotel bed closest to the large, wall-length window. "It's just a flower." _

"_Just a flower? Just a flower! Yellow carnations, my dear imbecilic friend, represent rejection, disdain, and disappointment!" _

"_Nothing's going to go wrong." _

"_If that was true they would've given us different flowers." _

"_Y'know, sometimes you make me wonder why you're even here." _

_Dream Reaper looked at him, his dark eyes cold, but his thin lips smiling. "Because I care about floriography?" _

"_Because you're a drama queen." Arctic Fox smiled. "Now, go shower and get ready. I'll get rid of the disappointing flowers." _

"_Alright, but leave me one. I want to leave it with our disdainful target." _

_Arctic Fox rolled his eyes but gently plucked one of the flowers out of the bouquet and set it on the table before lifting the rest out of the vase. He then proceeded to take them down to the dumpsters using the servants' elevator. There were fewer cameras on that path. As he tossed the flowers into the kitchen dumpster he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket and read the text: _Abort. Dream Reaper turned l'Cie. You're the target.

"_Shit," the Arctic Fox whispered and bolted back into the hotel. He had to get his things, especially his sniper. Everything would be ruined if he left them behind._

_Quietly, he slipped into their hotel room. His heart was pounding but he calmed his features. He could hear the shower running. He could make it out. The Artic Fox snatched up his duffle and then turned to grab Dream Reapers. The bathroom door opened. He heard the click of a gun. He froze. _

"_Leaving so soon?" Dream Reaper asked. He was still fully dressed. _

"_Why?" Arctic Fox turned to his partner. _

"_Because I'm tired of being a disposable military dog. They don't care about us!"_

"_And Sanctum cares about you?" _

"_The Cie'th are the only ones who care! They were the only ones who were there when my brother went MIA. They tried to find him! And our precious military, what did they do? Nothing!"_

_Arctic Fox could see the rage in Dream Reaper's eyes, but the gun remained steady. He kept his voice calm and tried to reason with the l'Cie. "There was nothing they could do. Wolfhound was dead." _

"_Dead because they never looked for him!" _

"_No. I was there. Wolfhound was shot in the head."_

"_LIAR! If you were there you would've brought him back, Hope! I know you." _

_The Arctic Fox frowned. "I tried, but he was too heavy for me to carry and remain stealthy. I wasn't as strong then as I am now."_

"_If that's true, then the yellow carnations really were the right choice for you." He pulled the trigger. _

_Arctic Fox screamed out as his shoulder felt like it had burst into flames. He stumbled backwards, dropping the duffle bags, and then steadied himself before he charged forwards, tackling the l'Cie. The gun clattered to the floor as the two soldiers wrestled each other for the upper hand. Punches. Kicks. Jabs. Grunts. Growls. They rolled across the floor, smearing blood across the pristine carpet. _

_Eventually, the Arctic Fox got the upper hand and began punching the l'Cie in the head. One. Two. Three. Five. Eight. The l'Cie stopped moving, but the Arctic Fox did not stop punching. His blood was on fire. His heart was racing. His shoulder screamed in pain. Yet, he did not stop for several more punches, when his need for air forced him to. _

* * *

Lightning rested her head on her desk. Why did there have to be so many different meanings to flowers? Fucking cryptic criminals! She had skipped breakfast with Fang and had instead opted to start researching. After several hours she had a mess of notes and an oncoming headache. At least, however, she had a list of people to question as soon as Hope arrived.

The door to her office opened, and Light looked up in time to see Agent Snow slip into her office with two cups of coffee. He smiled at her and gestured with the coffee. "Thought you might need some sustenance."

She took the cup he offered her. "What do you want?"

"Heard you got a Cie'th case."

"Yeah, so?" Gently she sipped the hot liquid, thankful for the caffeine, but would never admit that to Snow.

"And a new partner."

"He's not my partner, just a recruit."

Snow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the one recruit that doesn't need any training. I saw him shoot yesterday and sparred with him this morning."

"Any bruises?"

Snow lifted up the bottom of his untucked dress shirt. Besides the toned muscles and six-pack that she had been expecting, there were also several large bruises. "Wish I could say he looked the same."

"I suppose you should be glad he wasn't anymore precise or you'd be in the hospital."

Snow grimaced. "I'm well aware."

"So are you here to complain then?"

"No, just to tell you keep your eye on that one."

Lighting raised an eyebrow and set her coffee down. "What do you mean? I sparred with him myself, he wasn't violent."

"Yeah, I saw, everyone did, but this was different, he didn't swing at you."

"What are you getting at, Snow?"

"I know to get in he had to have had a clean psych report, but I think something's going on."

Lighting frowned. "Like what?"

"I don't know." Snow ran a hand through his hair. "But you know how it is, _out there_."

Out there on the battle field. Sighing, Lightning nodded. "I'll keep an out for him."

Snow nodded and made to leave.

"Snow?"

He stopped and looked at her. "Thank you."

"Soldiers have to stick together, right?"

He left. For all his self-righteousness and arrogance, Snow Villiers really wasn't a bad guy. He just had a tendency to annoy her. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for Serah to settle down with him. Lightning scrunched her nose and shook the thought from her mind. Yes it would.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I'm setting a new goal for myself: three chapters a week! This week I'm planning a double upload for _Little Agent Hope_ (next one scheduled for Friday) & then next week it will be for _Dance with Me. _It'll rotate from there.

DFTBA & Enjoy

* * *

Lightning had just finished a call with Child Services about questioning the victim's son when Hope entered her office. He was as immaculately dressed as he had been earlier. Lightning could smell the fresh soap from his recent shower. She looked directly under his eyes. The shadows were gone, the skin flawlessly smooth—perhaps a bit too flawless.

"How'd you sleep?" Lightning asked.

"Fine," Hope said as he took a seat across form her. "I got a call back. We can pick up the l'Cie's files this afternoon."

"Good. Child Services is letting us question the kid tomorrow, be we have to do it at the grandmother's."

"Kid?" Hope's eyebrows rose. "There wasn't one at the scene."

She tossed him the victim's file. "Jake Palmer. The babysitter, Alyssa Snyder, took him to her apartment next door as soon as she found the body."

"Smart move." Hope looked through the file.

"Yes, well, we're going to go question her. I'll drive."

"Yes, ma'am."

Lightning stood and headed out of Headquarters. Hope followed suit. As they walked Lightning looked at him from the corner of her eye. He didn't show any signs of fatigue in his walk, but she knew he could not have gotten much sleep if he was sparring with Snow this morning. She looked up to his eyes, which continuously moved, taking every detail of his surroundings in. The bags were gone, but that didn't fool her in the least. She knew the wonders of make-up, plus she knew that he used concealer on his tattoos.

"Something on your mind?" Hope asked as they walked to the SUV Lightning used for work—it looked more professional than her motorcycle.

"The flowers," Lightning covered as she slipped into the driver's seat and tossed her briefcase into the back seat. Once Hope was inside, she pulled out of the garage and onto the road.

"Did forensics give you a list?"

"Yes: carnations, cypress, roses, poppies, and the asphodel the victim was on. The preliminary report's in my bag. They're still working at the scene"

Hope grabbed her bag and pulled out the preliminary report. "They didn't write down the colours."

"Does it matter?"

"Sometimes."

"So, I take it the roses aren't for love then." Lightning sighed. "There should be pictures in the back of the file."

Searching the back of the file, Hope found the crime scene photos. "Yellow roses, infidelity or extreme betrayal."

"Shit."

"Poppies are eternal sleep, cypress is death or mourning, and asphodel is regret fallowing the receiver to the grave, in this case, Ms. Palmer."

"So, betrayal, regret, and lots of death. What about the carnations?"

"I think that was a wave to me."

"How so?"

"Classified."

"Until this afternoon," Lightning snapped. She hated secret classification when it got in her way.

"Pretty sure that'll still be classified."

"Some partner you are, Estheim. Can't even tell me pertinent information that you obviously know?"

Hope snapped the file closed and looked at her, his eyes livid. "It's fucking classified, Claire! What the fuck do you want me to do? Betray the same goddamn country you fucking left me for?! Wasn't dropping everything and risking my fucking life over and over again just to get fucking strong enough to keep my promise good enough for you? I'm giving you what little is left of my fucking life! What more do you fucking want from me?!"

Lightning slapped him. She had pulled over to the side of the road as soon as he had snapped at her.

"What the fu-"

She pulled him tightly over the middle council and ran her fingers soothingly through his silk hair, just as she had done when he was younger. As she rubbed his back and shoulders, trying to relax him, she could feel how tightly knotted they were.

Slowly he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, and Lightning felt him give her a slight tug. She released her seatbelt and climbed into his lap. Her arms were around his neck, legs stretched back to her seat, and her cheek pressed against his. Hope nuzzled her throat and she closed her eyes, allowing a single tear to trail down her cheek unseen.

Neither said a word. She knew he was sorry, that he didn't mean the harshness of his words. Lightning had never known Hope to burst out in anger so quickly. He was the type to burn slowly and then burst out in a torrent of truthful anger. How long had this been burning? Or was it another sign? She had been seeing the signs, knew what they meant, but she didn't want to believe it. He had seemed fine the night she slept over. Maybe he just needed a good night's sleep. That was it. He'd be fine. She knew he would. Hope was strong.

"We should get going," Hope whispered.

"Yeah," Lightning said just as softly and kissed Hope's temple before pulling away and looking at him. His eyes were full of deep sadness and fear. They wavered, unable to hold her gaze. Lightning's heart ached. She cupped his face in both of her hands; his pale skin was soft and warm. Gently, she placed her forehead against his and whispered, "I've got your back, Hope."

He reached up and took her wrists, and Lightning leaned back as he kissed the palms of her hands. "I know."

She smiled. "Good. Now, let's go question the babysitter and catch ourselves a bad guy."

Hope nodded and Lightning climbed back into her seat. After buckling her seatbelt she pulled back onto the road and continued towards Ms. Snyder's apartment. The rest of the drive was quiet, but not uncomfortable, though, Lightning feared that it was merely a slight reprieve before something much worse.

As she pulled up to the building, Lightning spotted an FBI SUV and parked next to it. There were several specialists packing up the SUV. Forensics must be done finally. Stepping out of her own SUV, Lightning went over to one of the men packing up.

"Hey Parker, is forensics done?"

The man named Parker nodded. "We should have a full report written up and on your office in a few hours."

"Good. Anything new from this morning?"

"Found a shoe box containing cannabis, MDMA, and ketamine. Mostly recreational stuff."

Hope walked over. "So things just became more complicated, huh?"

"Seems so. Thanks for the heads up, Parker."

Lightning nodded her appreciation to the man and then entered the apartment building with Hope. When they got to Ms. Snyder's apartment, Lightning knocked on the door. After a moment with no answer, Lightning knocked again.

"Ms. Snyder? It's Special Agent Lightning of the FBI. I've come to ask you a few questions," she called out, but again there wasn't an answer.

She went to knock again, but Hope grabbed her wrist. She gave him a searching look and he put his finger to his lips and his ear to the door. There was the sound of breaking glass and then a muffled cry. Lightning stepped back and Hope rammed his shoulder into the door, breaking it open.

Pulling her Glock out, she entered the apartment. Her eyes scanned the room. It was the same set up as the victim's. There was another muffled cry to her right. She turned, gun raised. There was a man holding Ms. Snyder. "Halt! FBI!"

"Shit!" The man let go of Ms. Snyder and jumped out of the nearby window and onto the fire escape.

Lightning lowered her gun and took off after him. She jumped through the window and slid down the ladder to the next platform. The guy was fast. He was already in the alleyway. She slid down another ladder and then jumped over the railing and onto the street two flights below. Steadying herself with her hand on the ground, Lightning pushed off and ran after the man.

"Halt or I'll shoot!"

The man went to turn the corner, there was a popping sound, and he collapsed to the ground. He clung to his leg and screamed. Lightning blinked and looked back up to Ms. Snyder's apartment in time to see Hope lower his pistol and slip back into the apartment. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter ELEVEN.

Lightning stepped out of the interrogation room and sighed. She hated dealing with Ghouls. It had been over an hour and still he had revealed nothing but a multitude of impressively lame vulgar vocabulary. She should have given Hope the Ghoul and gone with Ms. Snyder, but the elderly woman had clung to Hope like her own knight in shining armour. Figures that she was the one who had chased after the Ghoul, but the man was the one the old lady had given al the glory too. Hope had just given her his sauciest smile and turned to Ms. Snyder, saying that it would be his pleasure to escort her.

As he had left with Ms. Snyder, Lightning hadn't seen any signs of the man she had seen in the SUV. If she had not have held him in her arms just thirty minutes earlier, she would have thought he was perfectly fine, healthy. Just how good of an actor was he? It made her wonder about the night she had slept at his place.

Lightning squeezed her eyes shut. No, he just needed a good night's sleep.

"Claire?" Hope's deep, husky voice washed over her, sending pleasant shivers throughout her body. Then his warm hand wrapped around her bicep, and she had to fight the impulse to lean into him. "Are you okay?"

Lightning opened her eyes. Hope was standing mere inches from her, holding two steaming cups in one of his long, slender hands. His soft, blue-green eyes were full of concern. She wanted to lean up and kiss him. They were so close. Instead she focused her eyes on the cups. She could smell the delicious coffee.

"I'm fine. Is one of those for me?"

"Yes, ma'am." He released her arm and handed her one of the steaming coffees. "So, how's Justin Rippler?"

"I see Ms. Snyder was talkative."

"I now know enough to write her entire biography in detail and then some." He sipped his coffee.

"All I know is that he's a Ghoul and that he didn't kill Karen Palmer."

"How do you know that?"

"Because if he was the guy you think killed Palmer, then you wouldn't have purposefully given him a glancing shot."

Hope smiled softly. "Let's go talk to Rippler."

* * *

Three hours later they were still attempting to question Rippler, but he had revealed nothing. Finger prints had told them nothing more than that he was twenty-seven, a high school drop-out that now worked at a gas station, and that he matched numerous prints that forensics found all over Palmer's apartment. The tattoo on his wrist told them he was a Ghoul, but not to which l'Cie he belonged to.

Frustrated, Lightning stepped out of the interrogation room and went to get more coffee. Hope could hold his own with Rippler for a little while. As she poured herself a cup of coffee from the break room, Orld, the coroner's assistant walked up to her.

"I have the autopsy report and you're not going to like this," he said as he handed Lightning the file.

Setting her coffee down, Lightning took the file and looked it over. "Why's that?"

"The victim was pregnant."

"How far along?"

"Three months."

Lightning sighed. "What's this about more flowers?"

"We found rue shoved in her vaginal cavity."

"So the killer knew she was pregnant. How'd she die?"

"Drug overdoes. Benzoylmethylecgonine was injection under the tongue."

Lightning wrinkled her nose and closed the file. "Thanks. I'll ask Estheim about the rue."

Picking up her coffee, Lightning returned to the interrogation room where Hope was having an invigorating staring contest with Rippler, whose hands continuously fidgeted in his lap. Lightning sat down next to Hope and slid the autopsy report over to him, but kept her eyes on Rippler.

"When was the last time you had a hit, Rippler?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rippler snapped.

"You're obviously starting to go through withdrawal. What's your poison? Wouldn't happen to be cocaine, would it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Regret," Hope interjected as he looked up from the report. "Rue is for regret. Must've felt bad for killing Palmer's unborn child."

Rippler's eyes widen and suddenly gushed with tears. "Karen was pregnant!?"

Hope looked at him. "Yes. Was it yours?"

Rippler merely nodded, too full of sorrow to form words.

"Then help us find her killer," Lightning said. "Tell us everything you know."

* * *

Forty minutes later, Justin Rippler was released from custody, but with a hidden agent following him, and Lightning was getting in the SUV with Hope. Rippler didn't really have any helpful information. Karen Palmer was his permanent girlfriend, though they did not live together. She was a cosmetologist at a local salon and had apparently been trying to go sober for her son. As for the incident with Ms. Snyder, his story seemed to fit with hers. He had gone over to her apartment after hearing about Palmer's death to find Jake Palmer. Ms. Snyder refused to tell him anything and they fought, which is when Lightning and Hope arrived.

"I don't believe him," Hope said as he pulled from the parking lot.

"That's why he's being tailed." Lightning buckled her seatbelt and then pulled the case file out of her bag. "If he won't talk, we'll let his actions speak for him."

"We should have held him."

"Ms. Snyder chose not to press assault charges so we had nothing to hold him on."

"Too bad he didn't have any drugs on him."

"You think he's dealing?"

"I'd bet on it," Hope said as he slowed for a stoplight.

"So where are we supposed to pick up the l'Cie's file?"

"An office uptown."

"Why can't they just bring it to us?"

"This is happening completely off the record. This file doesn't exist."

Lightning frowned. "I see."

For a few minutes neither said a word. When the light turned green Hope nudged the gas and they began moving again. Lightning concentrated on the file. What was up with all of these flowers? The rue confused her the most. Did he regret having to kill a child? Is that why he left Jake Palmer alone? It was risky killing Palmer and setting her body up as he had, and yet leaving the child alive. Jake was a key witness. Who knew what he had seen?

"Want to go out for dinner after this?"

"Huh?" Lightning blinked and looked up from the case file. They were at another stoplight.

"Dinner, after we pick up the file."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Estheim."

Hope gave her one of his saucy smiles and then returned to watching the light. "I meant to discuss the case. You're going to have questions and I can give you answers once I know what's in the file."

"Oh, um." Lightning looked down at her lap. She was afraid of what might happen once they had finished discussing the file. Yesterday she would have been able to hold her own, but now, after what had happened earlier in the SUV, she wasn't so sure. "I-"

Lightning was cut off by the sound of a loud horn. Her head whipped backwards as Hope's arm slammed against her chest. She felt the car jerk and then whiteness darkened her vision.

* * *

AN: Hey, if you have a moment, please send me a PM giving my your interpretation of the difference between a T rating and an M rating! Right now this is rated T, but I want to make sure I change that rating correctly if need be. Thanks.

DFTBA


	12. Chapter 12

**WARNING: Some subjects in this chapter may be sensitive to some readers. **

I wish my readers only the best and I apologise in advance for any distress caused while reading this chapter. You are all wonderful people.

DFTBA

-CwS

* * *

"_My dad got a tattoo."_

_Claire laughed and ran her fingers through Hope's hair. "That was random." _

"_Sorry." _

_It was a Saturday night and since Hope's father was out of town, the two friends had opted to watch a movie-thon at Hope's house before Claire's be graduation party the next day. They were currently watching _Star Track_ and Hope was lying with his head on Claire's lap, her fingers tenderly combing through his hair. She was careful to avoid the bruises along the side of his face and the cut along his hairline—both curtsey of his father._

"_What's it of?" Claire asked. _

"_I didn't get a good look at it. Bunch of arrows, I think." _

"_Arrows?"_

"_Yeah." _

"_Weird." _

_They returned their attention to the movie. Halfway through it, Claire felt Hope's hand hesitantly caress her bare calf. She smiled lightly. It was something he had been doing more often lately—caressing her—and unlike when others did it, she liked it. Hope's hands were a wondrous mixture of soft and calloused that made her heart beat a little quicker and her body warm. _

_Just as his hand was becoming bolder and caressing upwards, past her knee, the front door slammed open. The room filled with men. Hope was pulled from Claire. She screamed. _

"_Shut up, bitch!" one of the men said as he roughly grasped her jaw._

"_Claire! Let her go!"_

_She struggled as large hands covered her. There were hands everywhere—on her arms, her ankles, her thighs, breasts, throat. She heard the sound of tearing fabric, but all she could feel was the hands. They were everywhere, grasping, tugging, slapping, pulling. _

_And then the real pain came. _

_Claire looked up at the ceiling. It was supposed to be a sky blue, but for some reason it seemed darker. As if someone had blocked out all the light. She heard someone screaming, but it was barely more than a whisper, an echo of what it should have been, covered by a deep, rough chorus of laughter. _

_Her vision blurred and she blinked to clear it. The dark sky was replaced by a vision of Hope. His eyes were wide, blood was running down the side of his face, and he kept rocking up and down. She crinkled her brow and moved her lips to speak, but no sound came. _

"_Claire! Look at me." _

_She was so confused. _She was looking at him!

"Claire, are you alright?"

Of course she wasn't! She hurt all over and her shoulder felt like it was on fire. She tried to tell him that, to speak, but she couldn't. Why couldn't she make a sound?

"Claire, answer me goddamn it!"

Panicked and confused, Lightning looked around, trying to discern where she was. She was on the ground. People were running around. There was a fire and an overturned vehicle. She could hear sirens blaring. What happened? How did she get here? What happened to the dark ceiling?

"CLAIRE!"

She looked at Hope. He wasn't rocking anymore and the bruises were gone, but his head was still bleeding. She reached up, her body protesting the movement, and tried to wipe the blood away. It only smeared, covering her hand in his blood. She worked her lips; they were so dry. Finally, she managed to whisper, "Hope?"

He sighed and visibly relaxed, his shoulders lowering and his lips turned upwards into a soft smile. Hope pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thank god."

"W-what…"

"Later, the ambulance is here. Let's get you checked out."

"Oh…k…"

"Claire?"

Lightning sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

* * *

"_Hey Claire?" Serah asked as she flipped the page of her fashion magazine. The two sisters were in the kitchen. In an attempt to make Claire more feminine, their mother had ordered her to make Serah's sixteenth birthday cake. _

_Currently, Claire was looking aimlessly around the room for the correct supplies. "Yeah?" _

"_Think I'll ever look more womanly?" _

"_You do look like a woman, Serah." _

"_No, I meant curves and boobs. Right now I look like you, a stick!" _

_Claire sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. _

"_Claire has boobs, 34C," Hope said as he plopped down next to Serah at the kitchen table. "She just wears sports bras and minimizers all the time because she doesn't like it when guys ogle her." _

"_HOPE!" Claire shrieked. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

_He raised the cell phone that she had bought him for Christmas so he could still have contact with her when he was at home—her parents had been making a lot of comments on how strange it was for an eighteen-year-old woman to be sharing her bed with a fourteen-year-old boy._

"_You texted me about baking. Sounded like you need help," he said, looking seemingly innocent of the inappropriateness of his early comment. _

"_What do you know about baking?" Serah asked. "You're a boy." _

"_Mom was a pastry chef." _

"_Oh, I'm so-"_

"_Get your skinny ass over here then," Claire interrupted, knowing how much Hope hated it when people apologized to him every time his mother was mentioned. She knew he still sometimes cried at night when he thought she was asleep, but he was trying so hard to be strong, so she never mentioned it. _

_Hope came over and began getting out the necessary items. She marveled at his adaptiveness as he mixed, stirred, and blended without even once looking at the recipe. At one point he even gave her an order, which would have normally infuriated her, instead it sent a pleasant charge through her that she didn't quiet understand. _

"_I'm going to go practice my violin while this cooks," Hope said as he placed the cake in the pre-heated oven. "Take it out when the timer beeps and then come get me after it's cooled for twenty minutes. Then we'll make the frosting. Okay?" _

_Claire merely nodded. For the first time in her life she was wishing little Hope was older and she didn't know why. He was little and scrawny and he had no muscle on him whatsoever. She wasn't attracted to him in the slightest. So why then did she want him to be older?_

"_Oh my god," Serah said once Hope had left the room. "I'm so going to date him after his birthday." _

_Claire crinkled her brow and looked at her sister. "What?" _

"_I'm going to date Hope once he's fifteen." _

"_Why? You think he's angsty and immature." _

"_Well, duh, he's fourteen! Once he's fifteen it'll be different. I can't go out with a fourteen-year-old when I'm sixteen. So gross." _

_Claire rolled her eyes. "He's not going to miraculously mature that much in the next few months, Serah." _

"_Well then, _Lightning,_ I'll just have to train him well after he's turned fifteen."_

"_I don't think he's interested in girls, yet." _

"_He's interested in you, _Lightning_." _

"_No, he's not. I'm like a big sister to him." _

"Lightning, are you awake?"

"_Go read your magazine somewhere else or I'll accidently put mustard in the frosting!" _

"_You wouldn't!" _

"_You know I will." _

"I need you to wake up, Lightning."

_Smirking, Claire watched her sister storm from the kitchen and turned to go in the living room, but instead she found herself lying on her side. Hope was looking at her. His eyes were soft and his lips upturned in the slightest smile. Gently, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. _

_She smiled and whispered, _"Hope."

"He's here,"_ a female voice off to the side replied. _

_Confused, she looked over her shoulder and saw sterile, white walls dimly lit by a lamp nearby. From somewhere close she could hear a steady beeping accompanied by the soft, pitter-patter of rain. She felt a hand squeeze hers and she looked farter over. _Serah was sitting next to her. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and it looked as if she had not slept in a few days.

"Oh god, you're awake!" Serah said as she tightly squeezed Lightning's hand and began to cry.

"Of course I am," Lightning growled. "Where's Hope? What happened?"

"He's on the other side of you."

Lightning looked. Hope was asleep in a chair on her other side. His head was on her bed, cushioned by several files, and he was holding her hand. There were dark circles under his eyes and his shirt was severely wrinkled.

"He only ever leaves your side to work on the case," Serah said gently.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and didn't look away from him. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days. A semi-truck ran straight into your SUV and it flipped a few times. You hit your head pretty hard and dislocated your shoulder when you were thrown from the vehicle. Hope said someone had tampered with the seatbelt."

"Someone tried to kill us?" Lightning looked at her sister, her eyes wide.

"Hope thinks so," she frowned. "He's been working day and night with Snow to figure out who did it as well as the asphodel murders."

"Murders?"

Serah nodded. "Another woman was found dead covered in asphodels in a men's locker room two days ago."

Lightning squeezed her eyes shut. "Fuck."


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Despite being exhausted from lack of air (horrible sinuses) I have completed chapter thirteen! I know it's a little short, but forgive my sluggish brain. Please?

Enjoy & DFTBA whilst I go attempt _Mass Effects 2_ or give up on using my brain & just drown myself in the awesomeness of _Community_

* * *

Lightning sat in her hospital bed reading Matthew G. Lewis's _The Monk_. It was evening and the rain still lightly pattered against the window. Serah had left shortly after dinner, leaving her alone since Hope had left as soon as he awoke. His parting had seemed odd. After waking he had noticed that she too was awake. He had smiled at her and given her had a squeeze, before excusing himself and leaving with all of his files. Serah had said he was merely determined to catch the one responsible for attempting to kill her.

The rest of the day had passed mostly in the company of her sister either watching television or reading poetry—it was one of their favourite pastimes growing up. Serah would read silly little love poems or Shakespeare sonnets and in return Lightning would counter with the psychotic beauty of Robert Browning or Edgar Allen Poe. She loved watching her sister squirm as she read some of Browning's more twisted characters, such as the one from "Porphyria's Lover."

Lightning paused in her reading and lowered her book, her eyes wide. How could she have been so stupid? Hastily, she tossed her book aside and grabbed her phone. She turned it on and called Hope.

It rang only once before she heard Hope's voice, "Is everything okay?"

"Did you get the Asphodel Murderer's file while I was out?"

"Yes, but I don't think it'll be much help. They blacked out nearly everything."

"Does it have a digital DNA sample? The kind the military uses for classification?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Have the labs cross it with Palmer's fetus. I don't buy that he'd feel bad for killing just anyone's child."

Hope paused before replying, "You think it's his, that he knew the victim."

"Those apartment walls are thin, if Palmer screamed because of an intruder everyone would have heard it. There were no signs of struggle either in the apartment or on her body, and she was drugged under the tongue, she had to be conscious for that. She knew her killer, trusted him."

"Right. I'll stop by the lab on the way to the hospital."

"You're coming here?"

"Yeah," Hope said, his voice softer than a moment ago.

"I'm fine, Estheim."

"Yeah. See you in a bit."

Lightning began to reply, but the line went dead. Sighing, she put down her phone. She wished that he had at least left the file on the second victim behind; then she could be caught up on what was going on. Instead, she picked her book back up and returned to the Gothic world Lewis had created.

* * *

Lightning was nearly asleep when she felt the familiar mixture of callousness and smoothness slip into her hand. She tightened her fingers around Hope's hand and opened her eyes. It was dark in the room, but the moonlight illuminated half of his face. He looked exhausted, his expression tight and his lips drawn down in a worried frown. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was pulled back from countlessly running his fingers through it in frustration.

"It's been six hours, what took you so long?" Lightning whispered unnecessarily since she had a private room.

"Someone broke into your apartment."

"What? My cats?"

Hope smiled and chuckled softly. "They're fine. Officer Fang took them when you first came to the hospital."

Lightning sighed, relieved. "Did they take anything?"

"I don't know. It's not like you kept a list of everything you owned handy."

"Right. I'll check it out after they release me tomorrow."

Hope nodded. "While you're at it you should grab whatever you'll need. We're staying at Snow's until this is all over."

"No."

"This isn't up for debate, Claire."

"No," she repeated as she pulled her hand from Hope's and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Claire," Hope said sternly.

Ignoring how the authority in his voice warmed her, Lightning held firm to her answer. "No."

"You sound like a toddler. We're going to be staying at Snow's and that's that."

"No."

"Say no again and I'll kiss you."

Lightning blushed, but said nothing.

"Good. Now that we're in agreement-"

"We are not in agreement, Estheim," Lightning snapped.

Hope sighed. "We have to stay at Snow's. Your place isn't safe anymore."

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I knocked you out, didn't I?"

"I let you knock me out, remember? Now put your feminist pride aside for a moment and think rationally."

"You think feminist thought is irrational?" Lightning was infuriated enough to throttle him.

"Oh for fuck sakes." Hope stood abruptly, his chair falling backwards. "Your pride is irrational, Claire, which in this case so happens to be fueled by feminism. I'm trying to keep you safe, be reasonable."

"I will not be some dumpy damsel in distress! I can take care of myself."

"Claire, this isn't the work of some fucking Ghoul! This is a highly trained special-ops agent turned l'Cie and he wants us dead, Claire. D-E-A-D. Dead. Do you not get that? This is not the time for you to be wonderfully feminist. This is the time for you to be safe."

"I'm not going to run from him!"

"I'm not asking you too!"

"Yes you are!"

Hope leaned down and placed a hand on each side of her, boxing her in. His eyes were hard and intense. "Claire Farron, you are being an idiot. This man wants you dead and I don't know if I have the power to stop him and live. So can you at least give me enough peace of mind to sleep and stay at Snow's?"

Frowning, Lightning sighed and looked back into his eyes. Despite the heat and intensity that she found in them, she could tell he was passed exhaustion. He was paler than he had been before and his lips were dry and a little chapped. Along with his lack of sleep, he probably had not been eating properly too. As much as she hated to give in she knew that bending would be the best for both of them. If she remained stubborn, who knew how much worse Hope would let himself get?

"Do you think this bed is big enough for two?" she whispered.

Hope smiled and his shoulders relaxed. "I think we can manage."


	14. Chapter 14 part 1

AN: THIS IS PART ONE. Hopefully I'll be able to write more for tomorrow or Thursday. Sorry this is taking so long. There was a death in the family last week & this lovely weather is making my sinuses hate me so I just feel generally drained mentally & physically.

I just wanted to get _something_ up today (I was attempting the whole chapter but that's a fail) so you guys would know that I haven't forgotten about this story & to let you all know what's going on. I know it's short, but I'm only posting to where there was already a break. I haven't finished the second part of this chapter.

Also, the name of the flower is italicised because it's the scientific name. It doesn't have a common name.

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

Lightning stood in the entranceway to her apartment. She felt naked and beaten. Everything was destroyed. Everything. They had violated every inch of her home, her safe haven. The walls were torn, the furniture ripped to shreds, the woodwork broken, and the glass shattered. Every one of her belongings had been ruined. She had nothing left.

She felt Hope's hands on her hips, pulling her into his comforting embrace. She stepped forward and said, "I'm fine."

Ignoring the feeling of unease and the desire to return to Hope's arms, Lightning pushed herself to move further into the apartment. She focused on seeing it as a crime scene not her home. Entering the bedroom, she took everything into account, all of it a potential clue. It was in a similar condition as the rest of the apartment, but the mattress was missing.

"Where's-" she began, but Hope interrupted.

"Taken as evidence. It was, um," Hope paused to scratched his head, "desecrated and a dozen _Lychnis viscaria_ were left behind. We suspect any DNA will be from his Ghouls."

"_Lychnis viscaria?_"

"An invitation to dance."

Lightning turned to him, her expression stern, her lips a tight line. "A challenge."

"Yes."

She burned. She seethed. Yet her mind was calm, her hands steady. She was set to kill. "C'mon, I won't find any clothes here."

Hope grabbed her as she passed. His hand was firm. Lightning looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at her. With cold eyes he looked where her bed once was.

"We'll get him," she said.

"Not if I kill him first."

Lightning felt a shiver of awareness at the emotionlessness of his voice. It wasn't any different than the murderers she put away on a weekly basis. Reaching up, she gently turned his head towards her. His face was like a porcelain mask. This was not her little Hope. This was a military creation: the Arctic Fox.

She pulled from him and wrapped her arms around herself. Her heart was beating a little faster and her palms were starting to sweat. She was furious with the Asphodel murderer. She hated him, wanted more than anything to be the one to arrest him and put him in jail for the rest of his miserable life. But as she looked up into those soulless eyes, she was terrified of the Arctic Fox.

"No, Hope," she said sternly. "We'll arrest him. Together."

"I won't-"

She yanked him by the tie and kissed him. His lips were a wonderful contradiction, just like his hands—soft yet hard. They demanded a response and she was only too happy to insist upon one from him in return. He pressed himself against her, pinning her to the wall. Her hands went into his hair, yanking him closer. He moaned. She wanted more.

His phone rang.

Lightning's body whimpered as he pulled away, but she schooled her features to reveal very little. She watched him pull his phone out and walk away. What on Earth was she doing?! They had to remain business partners, professionals. They had to stay focused on the job. But the Arctic Fox had scared her more than she would like to admit and the only way she could think of to call Hope Estheim back to her was to give him what he wanted. Hell, what she wanted too, but was depraving them of. She closed her eyes tightly. They had to stay professional. They had to.


	15. Chapter 14 part 2

AN: PART TWO! Feeling better & hopefully I'll get all my posts back on schedule soon! Anybody celebrating May the Fourth?

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

Hope pulled the SUV up to a house with large windows and an extensive garden. It sat on several acres of untouched property outside of the city. Lightning couldn't help noting how quiet and serene the place was. Everywhere she looked as she stepped out of the vehicle was flushed with natural life; it was even crawling up the side of the house in the form of leafy vines.

Serah opened the door when they neared it, a big grin on her face. "Oh my god, this is going to be so exciting living together again!"

Lightning's eyes widened. "You live here! Since when?"

"Snow thought you'd like another girl in the house, and who better than your sister? C'mon in. I'll show you around!"

Lightning entered, followed by Hope. Inside the house was just as open as it was outside and very tidy—something Serah was not. There was a corridor to her right and to her left was the living room, which flowed effortlessly into the dinning area and then into the kitchen. The colouration was soft creams and neutral browns, and the decorations were minimalistic. On the far wall there was a rustic fireplace with a locked trap door beside it to bring in kindle without having to track it through the house. It was a nice house and not what she had expected from Special Agent Snow Villiers.

"Right, so this is the living room, and over there is the dinning room and kitchen," Serah said and then turned down the corridor. "To the left is the bathroom and here is your bedroom. Snow and I are in the master."

Lightning followed her sister into a bedroom styled similarly to the rest of the house, the main difference being the bed. It had an extravagant, deep emerald comforter and an intricate, white aspen wooden headboard that looked as if it belonged in Tolkien's Lothlórien. It was beautiful.

"Snow made the headboard," Serah said, noticing her sister's intrigue.

"He carves?"

"Yeah, surprising, isn't it? Says he does it to relieve stress from work."

"Wow." Lightning walked around the room and then frowned when she realized that Serah had only mentioned two bedrooms. "Where does Estheim sleep?"

"Oh, well, he had been sleeping in here while you were at the hospital, but he said he'd take the couch."

"Estheim!" she called.

Serah scurried from the room, all too familiar with the ferocity of Lightning's tone. Hope sauntered into the room, closed the door, and leaned against it, arms crossed. A decade ago he would have entered with his shoulders bent and head bowed, but that was little Hope. This was not. Despite the utter exhaustion and weariness that surrounded him, Hope Estheim was relaxed and cocksure, completely unintimidated.

"You will be sleeping in here with me."

One of Hope's brows rose. "No."

"This is not debatable, Estheim. It's an order."

"Then I sleep naked."

Lightning's eyes widened. "No."

"Then I sleep on the couch." Hope smirked.

"You're sleeping in here, clothed. That's an order."

"No."

"Yes. Look, Estheim, you're exhausted and quite frankly you look like shit. You're not well and I want you to sleep in here with me."

Hope paused and his eyes lowered slightly. For a moment Lightning thought he wasn't going to respond and merely give in, but then he said, "Come here."

Hesitantly, she stepped forward and stopped in front of him. He was taller than her. Before she had left he was nearly a foot shorter than she was. Now she had to tilt her head upwards to meet his gaze. He wasn't too tall, however; he didn't dwarf her like Snow did Serah. She watched as he raised his hand and gently caressed her shoulder with the back of his fingers.

"How's it feeling?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Not bad. I've got good pain killers."

"I can't sleep in here with you."

"Why not?"

"Honestly?"

She nodded.

Hope looked into her eyes. "Because I'll want to fuck you."

Lightning's eyes widened and she blushed a deep crimson, yet at the same time her body reacted to his words, to the rough, deep tones of his voice. Her stomach tightened and she instinctively squeezed her thighs together. Her heart was beating rapidly. She wanted him to take control, to ravish her until she couldn't move. She stepped forward. But they couldn't. They had to focus on the job. Sex would just complicate things. He was little Hope. Lightning lowered her gaze and stepped back. Little Hope. She took a deep breath. Little Hope. They couldn't. Little Hope.

"Can I see the case files?" she asked. Little Hope.

"They're on the kitchen table."

"Okay. I'm going to just lay down for a bit and then I'll go over them."

Hope stepped forward and she looked up as he cupped her cheek. Softly, he said, "I would never hurt you like they did."

"I know."

"Get some rest." He lightly kissed her forehead and then left the room.


	16. Chapter 15

AN: It's short. I'm sorry, but I didn't want to force things by going passed the part I stopped at. I like where this chapter ends. Now, I'm going to be a tired zombie & go watch Hank & Katherine Green play Lego Harry Potter on Hankgames (YouTube).

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

_The Arctic Fox entered the Corner Street Diner and sat across from the Golden Jackal. It was relatively late and the diner was empty except for a few drunken customers trying to sober up before going home. He snatched one of Jackal's fries and looked at his friend since their Academy days. _

"_I need a favour," he said. _

"_Well, hello to you too, Hope. Sure you can have some of my fries." _

_Arctic Fox rolled his eyes and smiled. "Hey, Noel, how've you been?" _

"_Yeul dumped me, but otherwise fine." _

"_I thought you two were engaged?"_

"_We were." _

"_I'm sorry." _

"_It's fine," Noel brushed the sadness off. "So, what did you need? Besides my fries, I mean." _

"_Cie'th locations." _

_Noel frowned. "You're supposed to be taking it easy, Hope. Wolfhound's death was horrible and you need time to recoup." _

"_I'm fine. I need the locations of these six Cie'th." Arctic Fox pulled out a slip of paper and slid it across the table. _

_Sighing, Golden Jackal picked the paper up and looked at it. His eyes widened when he reached the last name. "Hope, your father's on this list." _

"_I know." The emptiness in his voice scared Jackal. It was as if the thought of killing his father had no affect on the Arctic Fox. _

"_You can't-"_

"_If you don't give me those locations someone else will. You won't stop me." _

"_Why are you targeting them?" _

"_Being Cie'th isn't enough?" _

"_I'm not stupid, Hope. This is personal." _

"_It doesn't matter." _

"_Yes, it does," Jackal snapped. _

_Arctic Fox sighed and looked out the window. It was snowing lightly and the streets glistened with salted slush. If it weren't for these men, Claire wouldn't have run away. Perhaps he would have even convinced her to date him. They hurt her, shattered her, and he would make them pay. The Arctic Fox looked back at the Golden Jackal. _

"_Give me the locations."_

* * *

Lightning set down the file and rubbed her temples. It was well past midnight and she was lying in bed trying to make sense of the murders. The second victim, Rose Rawn, age forty-six, was found on a bench in the men's locker room of the university where she worked as athletic director. She was found by one of the male students, Cody Hopkins, age nineteen, surrounded by lobelias (malevolence), hydrangeas (frigidness and heartless), black roses (hatred), and—of all things—lettuce (cold-hearted). Which merely added up to that the killer—a Walter Dodge, code name Dream Reaper, age thirty-five—really did not like the second victim.

How was she connected to Karen Palmer? Palmer was a single mother and average cosmetologist who blended into the background of society according to Hope's notes. On the other hand, Rawn had been described as near perfection by her coworkers and the students of the athletic department. The only smudge on her record was a divorce a few years back after she had found her husband cheating on her with an eighteen-year-old boy.

There were no leads. Everything was running into dead-ends. So far the only hope was Palmer's son, who refused to answer any of Hope's questions, and the Hopkins boy, who Snow—filling in for Lightning—had noted was unusually nervous during the interview. Snow and Hope had agreed to give the boy a day or two and then question him again. Lightning sighed. She couldn't afford any more hospital trips. The case was quickly going cold and the bastards had destroyed her home.

There was an abrupt knock on her door. Lightning looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was nearly three.

"Come in," she called softly.

Hope entered the room. His hair was mussed and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy. "What are you doing still up?"

"Just looking over the files. You okay?"

Hope looked down and his shoulders slumped, it was as if the weight of the universe rested upon him and he no longer had the strength to hold it. He said nothing.

"Hope?" she prompted.

He took a deep breath. "Not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say or do.

"Can I hold you?"

Lightning nodded and moved the files out of the way. Hope sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap, holding her against his bare chest. She laid her head against his shoulder and breathed in his scent of fresh soap. She felt small in his arms, safe, but she was also worried for him. He wasn't doing well, he was actually getting worse. She didn't want to see Hope fall apart like this, but she had no idea what to do. He needed to talk to someone, but even as a child he was tight lipped. He only ever talked to her when he was younger, but now he wasn't even doing that.

For now, it seemed, all she could do was comfort him by allowing him to hold her. So that is what she did. She lay in his arms until he fell asleep and then she allowed herself to sleep.


	17. Chapter 16

AN: Sorry this this is up late. When I haven't been busy, I've been such a lazy ass. ^^; Going to get my shit together next week! …Hopefully. Please give me a bit of encouragement if you have the time!

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

_Lightning awoke and rolled onto her back. Above her the clouds lazily glided across the iridescent blue sky as the sun slid beneath the tree line. The gentle wind caressed her skin and carried the light scent of gomphrena. Lighning smiled, completely at peace. _

"_Mommy!" a small voice called out. "Mommy, wake up!" _

_Puzzled, Lightning tried to sit up, but found it difficult. It was if she had gained weight and her arms could no longer support her. Frowning, Lightning looked down at herself. Her eyes widened. Her breasts were heavily swollen and her stomach looked as if she had swallowed a watermelon whole. Carefully, she placed her hand on her stomach and felt something small press back._

"_Mommy! Look what we found!" a different little voice shouted._

_Rolling back onto her side, Lightning pushed herself into a sitting position, and then looked around the wild field. On three sides the field was guarded by thick woods and south of it was a large river, lazily flowing from a distant mountain. Squinting her eyes, Lightning could make out two bouncing heads coming up from the river, followed more slowly by a man._

_What was going on? Where the two bouncing children hers? Who was the man? Lightning looked down at her pregnant stomach and wrapped her arms around it. Her heart swelled with a happiness and love she had never experienced before. She was a mother, a mother thrice over. Her eyes filled with tears. She had never considered… never dreamed… A mother. _

"_Mommy!" A little girl leaped out of the long grass of the field and into sight. She was tall and a little gangly, with long, silver hair and piercing blue eyes. _

_The girl was followed by a much smaller boy with a mop of soft, pale pink hair. At the sight of Lightning the boy's eyes lit up with joy and he broke out into a grin. "You're awake!" _

_The two children ran into her arms and hugged her tightly before they began chattering endlessly. Lightning couldn't understand a word either said as they talked over each other, their words overflowing with excitement. She smiled softly and kissed each one on the forehead. Children… her children… she was a mother. _

"_Claire." _

_Lightning looked up from her children's beautiful faces. Hope was standing in front of her, his hands in his jean pockets. He was older, a little taller, and his shoulders a little broader. He walked over to her and knelt before her. His eyes were the same. They still made her heart flutter and feel naked to him and him alone. They were still the same blue-green eyes that knew her better than anyone. _

"_Give into me, Claire."_

* * *

Lightning slowly awoke. It had all been a dream but her body tingled with longing. She reached up and placed her hand over Hope's, which rested over her abdomen, just under her bosom. Could such love be possible? Could such a life? Her fragile heart squeezed behind her wrought iron rib cage and she gently lowered his hand a few inches. If only… if only.

She felt her eyes well up with tears and clenched them shut. It was impossible. She couldn't have that, especially with Hope—Little Hope Estheim, the Arctic Fox. They worked together. They had too much history. He wasn't well. Still, she wanted it. For the first time in her life, she wanted things to be different and the reality of everything made her ache. Hope's arm tightened around her and she felt him kiss her shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Fine." Lightning quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks and pulled from him, getting out of bed. "I'm going to shower."

"Claire, wait-"

"It's Lightning," she snapped and walked out of the bedroom.

Lightning walked across the hall to the bathroom. Trying not to think, she flicked the light on and closed the door. Quickly she undressed and stepped into the shower. This was for the best. This was for the best. This was for the best. She kept repeating the thought over and over as the warm spray washed over her. It was for the best. Perhaps if she told herself it enough she'd eventually believe it. She was just beginning the methodical task of washing herself when she heard the door open.

"What do you want? I'm trying to shower here!" she snapped.

"Make sure to wash behind your ears," Hope replied. Lightning froze. The door clicked shut. "We need to talk."

"Later! I'm showering!" Lightning screamed.

There was no reply.

She waited a minute before asking, "Estheim?"

The shower curtain was thrown open. Lightning shrieked and swung at Hope. He grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the shower wall as he stepped, naked, into the shower. She struggled.

Calmly, he pulled the shower curtain closed with his free hand and then turned to her. "We'll talk now."


	18. Chapter 17

**SENSITIVITY**** WARNING**: This chapter contains sensitive content. I'm sorry for any distress caused; it is not my intention.

AN: You're all so lovely, so here's another chapter :]

Enjoy & DFTBA

* * *

"You're hurting my shoulder, asshole," Lightning snapped as she glared up at Hope.

He frowned and lowered the arm of the injured shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Get out."

"We need to talk."

"I'm trying to shower."

The corner of Hope's lips twitched upwards and he let her go. "Then by all means, shower."

Lightning put her hands on her hips and stood her ground. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed in a firm line. "If you think I'm going to be some modest damsel and try to cover myself from your lecherous eyes, then you're dead wrong, you arrogant prick."

"Oh, dear, what ever shall I do? You're far too strong willed and proud for weak, little Hope Estheim!" He leaned forward and boxed her in. His face was only a few inches from hers and Lightning was acutely aware of the semi-stiffness of his lower regions. "Or maybe I'm tougher than that now. I'm not going to bow down to your defenses any more, Claire, not at the risk of you keeping secrets from me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Just because we're both naked doesn't mean I'm going to hurt you."

"What the fuck are you on about, Estheim?!"

"You were raped that night, Claire, we both were."

Lightning flinched and lowered her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. When she tried to speak, she could barely force her voice to be more than a whisper. "No. I just got really drunk and then we made out."

"When my father became Cie'th he sold you to his higher ups," Hope said softly. "They came in and tore us apart. After the fal'Cie Barthandelus took you he was going to give you to his l'Cie, but I offered myself up instead. They took me while I covered you to keep them from harming you any more."

Lightning squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to remember. She didn't want it to be true. She had spent years repeatedly telling herself that she had merely drunkenly made out with little Hope, willing herself to forget everything else.

"I'm fine. I'm over it," she said with as much forcefulness as she could muster.

"No, you're not," Hope said softly, "and you might never entirely be. I know I won't."

"I'm fine."

"It's okay, Claire. You don't always have to be strong. You can lean on me. I'll protect you."

"I'm fine," she said more sternly.

"Then kiss me, kiss me like you really mean it."

Lightning looked up into his eyes. They were still worn and tired looking, but they were also full of tenderness. That night she had fallen asleep looking into his eyes. They were both in terrible pain and she didn't know what to do. Every fiber of her being wanted her to run, to hide, but when she looked into his eyes she wanted to stay. She was torn, frightened, uncertain. Even after she had left for the Academy, she had always thought of his eyes and the way he looked at her, it had always comforted her in a way nothing else could.

"Kiss me, Claire," he whispered.

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "No. I won't kiss you to prove a point."

"Then kiss me because I love you, because I have always loved you."

Lightning's breath hitched and her eyes widened. She grabbed him by the hair and yanked him to her, kissing him hard on the mouth. He loved her. Despite what happened, despite her inability to protect either of them, he loved her. She felt his hands wrap around her and pick her up, pressing her body against his as he kissed back. As they kissed she felt him harden beneath her, but he did nothing about it. He didn't try to start anything. He merely held her and kissed her. She didn't know if she was glad or disappointed, but it was comforting all the same to know he would take his time with her.

Slowly they parted and Hope set her back down on her feet. Her chest rubbed against his as she attempted to catch her breath and she blushed, but she did not want to pull from him. So instead she rested her forehead on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his firm torso, hugging him to her. They stayed like that until Lightning began to shiver when the shower water became icy cold.

"Perhaps we should get out?" Hope asked as he kissed the side of her head.

"I don't want to let go," Lightning whispered.

"I'm never going to leave you."

"I missed you, Hope."

"I missed you too."

"Why didn't you come sooner?"

"I needed to become stronger, not only to be able to protect you, but also to equal you."

Lightning hugged him tighter.

"C'mon, we're going to freeze."

Without breaking the hug, Hope picked her up and waited for Lightning to secure her legs around him before leaning down to shut the water off. He stepped out of the tub and set her on the sink, and then began to dry her with a towel. Lightning smiled. She had never been pampered before. The act of being dried by someone else had always seemed like a way to overpower and control, but has Hope gently rubbed her with the towel she only felt cared for, loved. Perhaps giving into him wouldn't be a weakening, but a strengthening through the willingness to trust someone completely.

Lightning took a deep breath. "I had a dream last night."

"Oh?" Hope looked up at her. "Is that what upset you so much earlier?"

"I think it was the impossibility of it."

"What happened in the dream?"

Lightning looked into his eyes. "We were a family. We had two beautiful children and I was pregnant with another."

"Why's that impossible?"

She frowned. "We're both agents and we're partners."

"So?"

"So, it's against policy."

"Fuck policy. Regardless of if I'm your friend, your partner, your lover, or all three, I'm still going to have your back just the same."

"And if you had to choose between saving me and someone else?"

"I know you well enough to know that you can handle yourself long enough for me to save the other person and then haul my ass over to you."

Lightning smiled. "So we're talking to Palmer's son today?"

"Yeah, maybe you can get him to talk."

"Then I better get dressed."

Hope smiled and kissed her lightly. "Me too."


	19. Dear Reader

Dear Reader,

My sincerest apologies for taking so long to post the next chapter. Between starting a new job & other daily matters, I haven't had time to write. While I know this isn't the chapter you've been waiting for, I wanted to reassure you that **I have NOT discontinued any of my stories**_**.**_ Starting in **July** I will be posting at least **one chapter **for each of my three stories (_Dance with Me_, _Falling Slowly_, & _Little Agent Hope_).

I thank you for your continual support.

Best wishes & DFTBA,

-Counting with Straws


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